Hi,
I'm Caroline and today I've brought for you a short centering meditation that you can do whenever you might be feeling scattered,
Anxious,
Or just want a quiet moment to yourself.
In this practice,
I will guide you through a quick body scan and then a breath awareness meditation that you can do standing,
Seated,
Or even lying down.
All you need is somewhere you feel comfortable practicing and only a few minutes.
Come to any comfortable position.
You may come to a seat,
Stand up,
Or even lie down.
Wherever you're at,
Your spine should be lengthened.
Relax your shoulders and soften through your face.
Notice your forehead and smooth any lines of worry.
Relax your eyeballs in their sockets and loosen your jaw if your teeth are clenched together.
Begin to allow all of your body weight to really sink into whatever surface is supporting you right now.
If you feel comfortable doing so,
Close your eyes.
Take a few moments here to gently scan your body for any discomfort.
Starting in your feet,
Let your mind's eye wander from your feet up through your legs to your knees.
Continuing up your legs to your hips and low back.
Continuing up your torso to your stomach,
Your chest.
Notice your shoulders,
Your arms,
Elbows,
Wrists,
Hands,
And fingers.
Keep scanning through your neck and finish by checking in again with your head and softening through your face once more.
Start to use your breath here as a point of focus.
As you inhale,
Follow the breath in through your nostrils.
As you exhale,
Follow the breath out through your nose.
As you inhale,
Follow the breath in through your nostrils.
As you exhale,
Follow the breath out your nostrils.
Begin by first noticing just the entry and exit point of your breath.
As you continue to breathe,
Start to connect the breath with your lungs and diaphragm by following the path of air as it draws into the lungs.
Take as deep an inhalation as feels comfortable and as deep an exhalation as feels comfortable.
Release any pressure to make your breath a certain length or even to match the length of your inhales to your exhales.
Simply breathe as long and as deep as feels good for you right now.
If you ever start to feel anxious during your centering practice,
Try to shorten your inhalation and focus more on your deep exhalation for a few breaths or as long as you need.
But as you continue breathing,
Keep following all of the effects of your breath.
Notice the expansion and contraction of your ribs while you breathe in and out.
Begin to notice the difference between allowing your belly to expand as you breathe or keeping it gently toned and allowing your breath to fill only your chest.
Whenever you feel your thoughts wander,
Use your next exhale to gently send them away.
Rather than trying to block all thoughts from coming,
Imagine instead they are like clouds passing by overhead.
You may notice them as they come and then watch them as they leave rather than engaging with them.
Stay here and continue this practice for several more breaths.
You may notice them as they come and then watch them as they leave.
When you feel ready,
Start to bring your awareness back to your physical body.
Feel free to gently move through your fingers,
Toes,
Or to bring small movements to any place that may be craving it right now.
Before you open your eyes,
Thank yourself for taking these few moments to center and check in with your body and your breath.
Remember this feeling of peace whenever you need it throughout your day or your week.
While you may not be able to control whatever situation may be happening,
Inside you can always cultivate your own sense of calm security just by noticing your breath.
When you feel ready,
Gently allow your eyes to open.
Thank you so much for practicing with me today.
May you always see your inner courage,
Speak your strengths,
And hold joy in your heart.
Namaste.
